


All I really want is you

by TwoBladeBae



Category: One Piece
Genre: Birthday, Confession, Domestic, Kiku and Thatch spend a day together, M/M, Pining, Planning a Party, they both love Izo so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26984464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoBladeBae/pseuds/TwoBladeBae
Summary: When Kiku tells Thatch that it's Izo's birthday, and that the two of them have never truly gotten to celebrate one, Thatch decides that they should throw him a surprise party!
Relationships: Izou/Thatch (One Piece)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	All I really want is you

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday fic for Izo!! His birthday is today, October 13th, and I wanted to do something special for him! This is also in the same Au as "Let's strike a deal" by Shockandlock, so you should go read that and the rest of her stuff when you're done here!

Babysitting always came rather naturally for Thatch. Hanging out with kids was easy since he was basically an overgrown child himself, and all the rest just fell into place. Making snacks, helping with homework, and getting them into bed was simple, and he genuinely enjoyed doing it. 

Some kids were better than others, however, and Izo’s little sister Kiku was easily his favorite. He had begun babysitting her the summer before their junior year of college back when Kiku was just about to start middle school, and they’d quickly fallen into a routine. At some point Izo had given him a spare key for the house and trusted him to come over when he was needed, or for other times just when he wanted to come study or hang out. They were practically family now!

Whistling a soft tune to himself, Thatch slipped the key into the lock before giving it an eager turn, using his hip to dramatically pop the door open and scanning the living room for signs of life. When he didn’t find any, he pouted just a bit, setting his bag down off to the side and slipping off his shoes. He kicked the door shut, looking around with his hands planted on his hips. 

“Cookie! Where are you?” He stood still for a moment, grinning ear to ear as the sound of excited footsteps reached him. Kiku just barely avoided tripping down the stairs in her haste to get to him, launching herself off the third from last step and directly into Thatch’s arms with practiced ease. 

“You’re back!” Her small arms wrapped around his neck, body settling into his grip. He always held on so tight– he always promised her he would never let her fall! “I thought you weren’t coming until later?”

“Well, you know I like to come to see Izo before he heads off to work. Someone has to tell him to have a good day, right?” Thatch let out a small laugh before giving her a squeeze, looking up the stairs. “Where is your brother, anyway?”

Kiku didn’t answer right away, only letting out a few giggles. 

“He’s probably makin’ himself look all nice since he knew you were coming over.”

The young man paused, feeling his cheeks begin to burn at the thought of Izo attempting to make himself look even better than usual just because he was coming over. 

“How about we go to the kitchen and make your after school snack, yeah?” He looked down at her with a smile, hoping his blush had begun to fade already. Luck wasn’t on his side, however, as his face was still redder than Kiku’s favorite scrunchie. 

“Yeah! Can you make me that fruit salad again?” Kiku wiggled a bit until she was out of his arms, grabbing his wrist to lead him into the kitchen. “But no melons this time! Brother bought pineapple, can I have that instead?” 

Thatch barely suppressed a joke about Izo bringing home a pineapple, but knew that Kiku wouldn’t get it, and Izo would probably hit him if Kiku asked what it meant later on. Instead, he grinned and followed behind her, allowing her to lead the way. 

“Of course, whatever you want.” He approached the fridge and wrapped his fingers around the handle before he suddenly paused, eyes falling on a particularly colorful square on the dry erase calendar hanging on their freezer. There were a few pink and blue balloons drawn onto the 13th square, and he thought about it for a moment before speaking again. 

“Are you two celebrating something today?” He asked, finally pulling open the fridge and searching for the correct fruit. Kiku liked watermelon and strawberries the most, both of which would taste good with the blueberries that were hiding behind the large jug of apple juice on the second shelf. 

The young girl nodded before realizing that Thatch couldn’t see her. “Yeah, today is brother’s birthday! We never really get to have parties, though.” She sounded a bit disappointed at that fact, poking her toe at the tile floor. “I wanna throw him a party! I even saved up all my money to buy him a gift!” 

Thatch pulled back from the fridge so he could see her again, his arms full of various fruits for her salad. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly paused and winked to the girl instead. “Go grab that pineapple you were talking about, okay?”

Kiku gasped and nodded, always eager to help out in any way she could. “Yes sir!” She giggled out, turning on her heel and rushing to the pantry. 

Thatch set the fruits down on the counter, looking at the young man standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “So I hear it’s your birthday today! How come you never told me?” He pulled open a drawer and produced a large knife and a cutting board before making his way to the sink to get everything prepped. 

Izo only raised an eyebrow, busying himself with fixing a particularly stubborn earring. He always had trouble with these ones, the little blue birds that Marco had bought for him a few birthdays back. But they were too pretty to just sit in his jewelry box all the time! 

“I didn’t realize it was that important.” He smiled softly, running his fingers through his hair one last time before deeming it good enough. “Why? Was that something you were particularly interested in knowing?”

“Well, yeah! I could have baked you a cake or somethin’! Geeze, Izo, it’s like you don’t even care about supporting the chefs in your life. We need excuses to bake or we’ll die!”

“I believe I read somewhere that domestic chefs need to learn to bake for no reason to be able to survive, but sure, go ahead and blame that one on me for being uneducated.” He crossed his arms, grinning brightly at the other man. He opened his mouth to speak once again, pausing just before he could get a word out when Kiku finally came running back from the pantry. With the way she dove into Izo’s arms it was like the two had been separated for thirty years rather than thirty minutes. Izo let out a soft grunt but wrapped his arms around her without hesitation, rubbing her back gently. 

“Hello, little flower.” He laughed and leaned down as best he could with how tightly she was holding him, planting a kiss atop her head. “I’m working a long shift tonight, you be good for Thatch, alright?’ 

“Yes, brother! I’m always good for Thatch!” She peeked her head up and flashed him a grin, gripping the back of his jacket like her life depended on it. “Since it’s Friday, I can stay up until you get home, right?” 

Izo thought about that for a moment before nodding, letting out a sigh. “Since it’s Friday, yes. But only until I’m home! You’re a growing girl and you need your sleep.” he pulled back a bit, cupping her cheek and giving it a few gentle pats. 

Kiku giggled happily, burrowing into her brother’s palm before pulling away, returning to Thatch’s side to hand over the pineapple she’d been holding so diligently. She slid it onto the counter, rocking back on her heels. “Have fun at work, brother!”

“I’ll try my best.” Izo waved to the two, confident that they’d have a good night without him before finally turning to go, grabbing his bag from beside the door and heading out. 

Thatch waited a few moments to be sure the man was gone before he looked to Kiku again, eyes wide. “It’s his  _ birthday?  _ Why didn’t he say anything before?”

Kiku poked her fingers together, puffing her cheeks out in a rather adorable pout. “We never got to have big parties, I don’t think brother is used to celebrating… so he just doesn’t. We usually get his favorite takeout and watch a movie.” 

Thatch nodded, frowning and busying himself with slicing up more fruit for her salad. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of not celebrating! His family always had big celebrations for birthdays and his parties were some of his favorite memories. 

“Everyone deserves a birthday party.” He finally stated, setting his knife down. “Kiku! Do you want to throw your brother a surprise party?”

Kiku let out what could only be described as a squeal of pure joy, eagerly nodding up at him. A party for Izo?! That sounded perfect! “Can we really, Thatch?!”

“Of course!” He laughed and scooped all the fruit up and deposited it into Kiku’s favorite bowl, sliding it across the counter to her. “You said you had some money saved up, did you want to go get him a gift?”

She nodded again, grabbing the bowl with both hands before making her way over to the kitchen table. “Yeah! And I know just what he wants, too!”

* * *

Thatch had spent the afternoon taking inventory of the kitchen and pantry, deciding what he would need to buy and what he’d be able to make with what the two already had. He already had a few ideas for a birthday dinner for the man, but he wanted to give Kiku a chance to be a part of the planning! 

He came to a stop outside of the fabric store that Kiku had directed them to, unbuckling and glancing over at the young girl. She was bouncing in her seat, hugging her piggy bank close to her chest. They’d taken time to count out what she had and she was confident it was enough to buy Izo a nice gift! 

“Well come on!” She climbed out of the car, barely able to hold back and wait for Thatch with how excited she was. She knew the rules, however, and rocked on her heels while she waited. 

Thatch let out a small laugh, patting his pockets to make sure he had everything before leading her inside the store. Kiku took over a moment later, grabbing his wrist and showing him towards a part of the store that she knew well. 

“This one!” She pointed to the bolts of fabric that were lined up on the shelf in front of them, grinning ear to ear. “Izo always looks at these when we come in!”

“Does he now?” Thatch looked up at the fabrics, nodding to himself. He didn’t know much about clothing, but these certainly looked nice. He reached out, running his fingers across the lighter pink pattern. “Feels like silk…” he glanced down at Kiku, smiling softly.

“This is the one he wants?”

“Yes!” She nodded quickly, her blue eyes wide. “Izo lost his favorite kimono when we got taken from Oden and he really wants to make it again, but he needs the perfect fabric!” 

He stayed silent for a moment, acknowledging the amount of thought that had gone into this gift choice. Kiku truly wanted him to have something nice! 

“Okay, well what colors does he want? We can see how much it’s gonna cost.” Kneeling down beside her, he watched her pull a small notebook out from her jacket pocket, raising an eyebrow at the way her smile had become slightly  _ guilty _ . 

“I know stealing is wrong,” she started, holding it out to him. “But Izo makes lots of notes for his designs! He wrote it all in here.”

Thatch paused, eyeing the notebook carefully. He felt bad about prying into Izo’s personal belongings like this, but he wouldn’t look at anything other than the kimono notes! Surely Kiku would have the page marked and they wouldn’t have to search through anything personal to find it. 

“Do you know what page it’s on?” 

“No, I forgot.”

Ah. Of course. He took the notebook from her, biting his lip before finally opening the first page and letting out a relieved sigh at the sight of his notes written neatly in Japanese. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about reading anything personal, he couldn’t read it at all!

“You’ll teach me how to read this someday, won’t you?” He glanced at Kiku with a smile and she only giggled. 

The notebook was full of different designs and sketches of various levels of completion. It seemed like a book that Izo probably kept with him often in case of inspiration, and Thatch smiled wide at the idea. He paused suddenly on one of the pages, looking to a few small doodles in the corner. They looked like some very cute animals...a cat and a dog, for sure. There was something very distinct about them, though…

“What’s this?” He finally asked, pointing to the dog with the pompadour and the scarf around his neck. “It’s real cute.”

Kiku leaned in a bit closer to get a better look, quickly covering her mouth to hide her giggles. “Thatch, I think that’s you.” 

Thatch paused, his cheeks beginning to heat up once again at the idea of Izo doodling him in his personal notebook. 

“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever looked cuter.” It was then he finally took a better look at the cat that was snuggling up to the dog’s side, finally noticing the little pink outfit, bun, and distinct lipstick and he realized that Izo had drawn  _ himself _ . The cat and dog were  _ them _ and Thatch didn’t think his heart could take how adorable that was. 

“Thatch, are you crying?”

“Only a little, don’t worry about me.”

He began flipping through pages and skimming designs once again until he landed on a two page spread of a pink floral kimono. It was drawn with great care and detail, and Thatch could nearly feel the passion seeping through the pages. He would love to help fulfill this wish! 

“It’s beautiful…” He ran his thumb across the page, smiling softly. “I’d love to see him in it. Does he still wear kimonos?”

“Sometimes when he dances, but he hasn’t done it in a while…” Kiku puffed her cheeks out, holding her bank closer to her chest. 

“Izo dances?” He asked, looking up at her once again. “How come there’s so much about your big brother I still don’t know?”

“I think brother does that on purpose.” She smiled and stepped closer to him, pointing to the drawing. “See, we need two fabrics, ‘cause he’ll wanna make the obi, too.” 

“What part is that?” 

“The sash, this part right here.” 

“Oh, so that’s what that’s called.” 

Thatch stood up once again, looking at the fabrics in front of them. He grabbed the bolt with the floral silk, nodding. “Okay, you know him best. Which one for the ubi?”

“Obi, Thatch!”

“Right, sorry.”

Kiku tapped her chin lightly, very seriously looking between the fabrics. This was an important decision, it had to be perfect! 

“This one!” She walked up to the shelf and placed her hand over a bolt of light purple silk, turning her grin over to Thatch. “It’s perfect!”

“Good choice! I think Izo will love it.” He walked over to her, gently picking it up and glancing at the price on the end. He paused suddenly, furrowing his brows. “I think this is a bit more expensive than we were expecting…”

“What?” Kiku’s expression fell immediately, her arms tightening around her bank. “I can still buy them both, right?” 

Thatch frowned, dreading having to break the news. He knelt down, showing her the price tag. 

“When you came here last time it was on sale, and now that it’s back up to full price, you’re short just a little bit.” He kept his voice soft, knowing that it was going to hurt her. She’d been so excited! “I can cover the rest of the cost, if you want. We wouldn’t have to tell Izo.”

“No.” She glanced away, tears beginning to well up, her lower lip quivering. Despite it all she tried to stay strong. “I want to buy it myself.”

“Honey, it’ll still mean the same if you get a little help paying for it.” He reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure?”

Kiku gave him a short nod, sniffling softly. “Brother works really hard so he can buy things for me. I wanted to buy him something special too.” 

Thatch let out a sigh, nodding in understanding. He stood up, returning the fabrics to the shelf and thinking over her words. She wanted to feel like the money was hers to spend; she’d clearly earned the rest of it…

“How about we head over to the grocery store to get supplies for dinner?” He turned back to her, hands on his hips. “And while we’re there we can figure out a present for him, okay? I promise to bring you back another time for the fabric.” He held one hand out, trying to stay positive. 

It was another moment before Kiku responded, rubbing her eye lightly before accepting his outstretched hand. 

“Okay.” 

* * *

Kiku was rather quiet on the drive over to the grocery store, which was unlike her. Normally, she would help pick the radio station and she’d sing along as loud as she could! She and Thatch loved to sing together, and it was worrying that she was so quiet. 

But Thatch had a plan! 

He pulled into the grocery store parking lot, looking over to the young girl with a smile. He knew that she wanted to buy the gift for Izo herself, and to do that she had to earn the money by doing something helpful. 

“How would you like to be my personal helper in the store?” He asked, flashing her a wide grin. “You know Izo best, you can help me figure out what to make tonight and what kind of dessert we can make special for him!”

Kiku sat silently for a moment while she thought about it, her lips curling into a soft smile once again. She looked up, nodding at him. “I’d like that!”

“Perfect! I’m going to hire you as my little helper for our trip today then. Let’s head inside and get started!” 

“Okay!” She laughed and climbed out of the car, tucking her piggy bank beneath her jacket in the backseat before rushing around to meet Thatch on the other side. 

“Someone is excited,” Thatch grinned and patted the top of her head, leading her inside the store. He grabbed a cart, gesturing to Kiku to stay close by. “Okay, what’s Izo’s favorite food?” 

“Ganmodoki!” Kiku cheered, throwing her arms up in the air. “Whenever we eat oden he always eats them all! Oh, can we get a fun cookie cutter for them? We can make funny shapes!”

Thatch nodded, letting out another loud laugh. It was so nice to see her so excited again. 

“Of course we can, I think he’d love that!” He turned and began to lead her through the store, heading for the baking section first. The two of them had the essentials for baking, but he wanted Izo’s cake to be special!

“Your first task is helping me pick out a cake for Izo!” He set the cart to the side, putting his hands on his hips. “Now, what flavor do you think he’d like?” 

Kiku paused, rubbing her chin lightly the way she always saw Thatch do when he thought really hard about something. She glanced over to him, looking him up and down before putting her hands on her hips. “I think strawberry!” She gave a determined nod, “And some matcha cookies! He won’t stop talking about the ones you made last week!”

“Oh really?” He grinned, nodding to himself. “Alright, I’ll point to what we need and you put it in the cart, got it?”

“Got it!” 

The two of them made their way down the aisle, filling the cart with everything they would need to make some perfect desserts for Izo. Thatch wanted to make the cake and cookies from scratch, but Kiku insisted that Izo loved the cream cheese frosting from the store the best. Thatch wanted to argue, but this wasn’t about showing off his skills; this was about making what Izo liked! 

“Okay, I think that’s it for the cake!” Thatch grinned and turned to look for Kiku, pausing. “What are you looking at?”

“These!” Kiku lifted a bag of heart shaped cookie cutters, giggling to herself. “You should use  _ these _ for brother’s dinner! He’d really like it!”

He raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes slightly. Kiku had told him before about the things Izo had apparently said about him, but he was always still a little skeptical about actually acting on anything. He didn’t want to make Izo uncomfortable! 

“Well… if you think he’ll like it.” He waved her over, allowing her to put them in the cart. Maybe this was really what he needed to finally tell Izo how much he liked him! 

“He’ll  _ love  _ them! I promise!” Kiku hopped up and down beside him, her hands clasped together. “Can we get stuff for dinner? I’m getting hungry, Thatch!” 

“Yeah, of course!” Thatch pulled his phone out from his back pocket, handing it over to the young girl. “Can you look up a recipe for ganmodoki and we’ll get the ingredients?” 

She nodded eagerly, taking the phone from him and following beside him on their way to the produce section of the store. She was quiet most of the way there, only letting out a few giggles every few moments.

“What’s so funny over there?” He glanced back, stopping just beside the vegetable selection. 

“You just have a lot of pictures of brother on here.” She held up the phone, showing him a candid shot of Izo during one of their late night study sessions. He had his hair down, a rare occurrence for him, and a wide grin stretched across his cheeks. 

“I-I...just like to document things!” Thatch bit his lip, starting to regret having given the phone over to her. “Don’t you think it’s good to have photos?” 

Kiku looked down at the photo again and nodded, letting out a small sigh. “Brother hasn’t smiled like that in a long time… but he got happier when you showed up!” 

She looked up at Thatch, flashing him a grin before rushing forward and hugging him tightly. She gripped the back of his shirt, nuzzling against his chest. 

Thatch stared down at her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back. It was hard to believe this was still the same shy kid he met the first day he came over. 

“Hey...he makes me happy too.” He rubbed her back gently, holding her close. “And so do you, you know! I love babysitting you.” 

“Really?” Kiku pulled back a bit, giggling softly. It was so nice to hear that she meant as much to Thatch as he did to her and Izo! She looked down again, finally pulling up the proper recipe for ganmodoki and holding it up for Thatch to see. 

“Ah, perfect. How about I call out the ingredients and you grab them just like before?”

“Sounds good!”

* * *

Kiku had insisted on loading up the trunk by herself, wanting to be as helpful as possible on their trip. She hopped up, grabbing the trunk and pulling it shut with a loud thud. Getting to help on the trip had certainly helped bring her spirits back up! 

“There we go!” She grinned and turned back to Thatch, hands on her hips. Her proud look didn’t last long however and she gasped, eyes widening suddenly. “Thatch! We didn’t look for a gift! Brother’s going to come home and I won’t have anything!”

Thatch shook his head, holding one hand up as if to silence her. “Well now, hold on. First I have to pay you for all your help.” 

Kiku paused, tilting her head slightly. They hadn’t discussed payment when they left! What was Thatch talking about? “Pay me?” 

“Well, I hired you to be my helper, didn’t I? That means I have to pay you.” He pulled his wallet out from his back pocket, taking a handful of bills out. “Hold out your hand.” 

He waited until Kiku did just that before beginning to place a few bills down, explaining each one as he did so.

“For helping me decide on dinner and a cake flavor, for helping load up the cart in the store, for helping bag everything up...ah! And helping load up the trunk!” He placed one last bill on her palm, grinning widely. “There you are, kiddo! That’s a whole twenty five dollars right there!”

It took the girl a moment to finally realize what was happening; she stared down at the money, furrowing her brows. Twenty five dollars? That was…

She gasped, looking back up at Thatch with wide eyes, a grin spreading across her cheeks. “Twenty five dollars!” She gripped the cash tightly, throwing her arms up in the air in her excitement. “I made enough! I made enough money, Thatch! Can we go back to the fabric store? Please?” 

She clasped her hands together, jutting out her lower lip in the best, cutest pout she could manage. “I want to buy the fabric for brother before it’s too late!”

Thatch held back his laughter, not wanting to give away that it had been his plan all along. He held up his keys, nodding quickly. 

“Let’s get over there, then!”

* * *

Thatch was beginning to realize that Kiku was much more independent than he thought. The moment they’d returned to the fabric store she had dashed in on her own, despite knowing the rules of never going anywhere without someone, but Thatch caught up quick enough that he didn’t see a reason to make a big fuss. 

She had gone back to the silk fabric section and tugged the floral silk down, holding it tightly in her arms and looking more proud than Thatch had ever seen her. She had worked for this and she was so excited! 

“Here,” He helped her get the purple down from it’s higher shelf, handing it to her to hold. “There you go, you’ve got it.” 

The young girl was all smiles when they got to the cutting desk, pulling out Izo’s little notebook and reading out the measurements like she was an expert. And with how often she helped Izo, why wouldn’t she be one by now? 

Thatch couldn’t help but snap a photo of the proud grin she wore when the fabric was handed back to her, nor could he stop himself from getting one of her handing her stacks of neatly folded bills over to the cashier to pay for the fabrics. He really thought she might explode! 

At the very least she was able to contain her excitement until they stepped outside; the moment the chilly evening air hit her she was cheering as loud as her little lungs could handle, arms thrown high up in the air. 

Thatch wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so proud. 

* * *

When they finally arrived home from their shopping trip, Kiku immediately went to her room to stash the fabric away so Izo wouldn’t see before returning to the kitchen with Thatch. 

She helped with cooking and baking as much as she could, always enjoying a chance to get to help Thatch with something that was so important to him. She helped mix up the ingredients for ganmodoki, as well as helped cut out the heart shapes for him to fry. Thatch let her crack the eggs into the bowl for the cake and helped her measure and pour the flour. No matter how gently one did that, however, it always ended up making a mess. Although, thatch didn’t particularly mind the handprint Kiku left on his cheek. He wore it with pride.

While the cake was cooling and dinner was kept warm in the oven, Thatch made a special batch of hot chocolate just for the two of them and joined her in the living room. She wanted to wrap Izo’s gift on her own, but he could at least keep her company! 

“I don’t lie to you, you know.” 

Thatch paused, glancing up from his phone and looking to where Kiku was sitting cross-legged on the floor. She had a piece of tape stuck to her cheek and he briefly wondered how she managed that. 

“What are you talking about?” He leaned forward, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. 

Kiku stood up, placing Izo’s gift on the coffee table before joining him on the couch. She stayed silent for a moment, holding her mug tightly in both hands and sipping at it. The whipped cream stuck to her nose and Thatch barely contained his laughter. 

“Everything I’ve told you, all the things brother has said about you, they’re all true. I wouldn’t make that stuff up!” She looked up, her eyes wide and innocent. She wanted her brother to be happy, and Thatch was what was going to make him happy! “He really likes you, Thatch.” 

The man couldn’t seem to form a response to that; he could only sit dumbfounded and blushing. Did he really? Was it finally time to make a move? He bit his lip, reaching down and wiping her nose off with the pad of his thumb. “Thanks, kiddo.You know I’m doing my best to make sure he’s happy.”

“I know you are.” She giggled softly and sat up, snatching up a large ribbon from the coffee table. It had been for Izo’s present, but Kiku had a better idea. She pulled off the backing and revealed the sticky side, planting it firmly on Thatch’s chest. “There, perfect.”

“What?” 

“Shh!” Kiku pressed her finger to her lips, grabbing two handfuls of confetti from the table and standing eagerly in the middle of the living room. She’d heard his car, he would walk in at any moment! 

Izo had stood outside the door for a moment before finally putting the key in the lock, needing a second to just breathe and be on his own before returning home. He took a deep breath, turning the key and pushing the front door open. 

“Kiku, I’m–”

“SURPRISE!” The second the door opened Kiku had sprung into action, throwing the confetti up in the air as hard as she could, effectively scattering it to all corners. Thatch momentarily thought about how they’d be cleaning it up for weeks, before grabbing a handful for himself and tossing it slightly less forcefully into the air. 

“Happy birthday, brother! Look, we threw you a party! And you’ve got gifts!” Kiku couldn’t contain her happiness if she tried, rushing over and hugging her brother tightly around his waist. “And Thatch and I made dinner, it’s your favorite! And we baked you a cake, too!” 

There were very few points in his life where Izo could truly consider himself speechless, but this was certainly one of them. He looked around the room, taking in the scattered confetti and the gift waiting for him on the coffee table. Of course, Kiku had mentioned he had more than one…

“That all sounds wonderful, Kiku!” He leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead before standing up straight once again, directing his attention to Thatch, who had finally gotten off the couch to greet him. He grinned, reaching up and gently poking the bow that sat on his chest. “I suppose this makes you one of my gifts, doesn’t it?” 

Thatch paused, glancing down at the large red ribbon on his chest before nodding slowly. “Y-yeah, that’s right! I’m one of your gifts! Happy birthday, Izo!” He flashed him a bright grin, setting his hands on his hips. 

“Big brother!” Kiku had tried her best to contain herself, but couldn’t hold back any longer. She grabbed the man’s wrist and tugged him towards the couch, just barely missing the apologetic look that Izo had sent to Thatch on his way. (Thatch spent a few moments wondering what exactly that meant; was he  _ sad _ their moment got cut short?) 

“Yes, my little flower? What is it?” Izo finally set his bag down, sitting down on the couch and taking both of Kiku’s hands. “You seem very excited to tell me something.”

“Close your eyes!” She pleaded, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She wouldn’t budge until the man obliged with her request, turning to look at Thatch as if she needed encouragement. 

Thatch smiled and gave her two thumbs up, nodding his head towards Izo. He would love the gift, and they both knew it! 

Kiku took a deep breath, picking up the slightly messily wrapped gift and placing it in Izo’s lap. She poked her fingers together, biting her lower lip. “Okay, you can open your eyes now, brother!” 

Izo did as he was told, looking down at the present in his lap. He wasn’t used to getting gifts; at least not ones that weren’t homemade, and he suspected that Thatch being around had something to do with how large and thick this gift was. “Oh wow,” he ran his fingers over the top, already curious as to what could be inside. “I wonder what this could be…” 

He glanced up at Kiku, practically vibrating with excitement as he tucked his fingers in the paper, eagerly peeling it back. And then he stopped...and he stared. 

The room was silent for a few moments before Kiku finally spoke up, beginning to worry now that she had somehow picked the wrong fabric. 

“Brother…? Are you alright?” She sat down beside him, eager to hear his thoughts. Was it wrong? Was he upset she had spent so much? The anticipation was killing her! 

“Kiku,” He started, his voice soft and thick with emotion. He turned to her, tears welling up in his eyes as he cupped her cheeks with both hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “How in the world did I end up with such a kind and thoughtful little sister?” He laughed and pulled her into a proper hug now, practically dragging her into his lap and peppering her face with kisses. 

“Now, I think it’s time to eat dinner! I’m  _ starving _ and the whole house smells delicious!”

* * *

Like usual, Thatch had offered to clean up after dinner and dessert, allowing Izo and Kiku to change and get comfortable after such a long day. He really didn’t mind; cleaning up after yourself was an important part of being a good chef, after all! 

“I have to say, the heart shaped fritters were a very nice touch.” 

Thatch turned, glancing to the man leaning against the doorframe. He had his arms crossed and a soft smile on his lips. 

“Would you believe me if I told you those were Kiku’s idea? Told me you’d greatly appreciate them.” He dried off the plate he’d been holding before setting it on the stack, turning around and leaning back against the countertop. “I’m glad you enjoyed everything. It was a little last minute, but we had a lot of fun setting it all up.”

Izo nodded, pushing off the doorframe and making his way over to the other man. He stood in front of him, hesitating for just a moment before loosely wrapping his arms around his neck. “It was very sweet of you. I’m sure Kiku told you we don’t usually get to have birthday parties, so this was a nice surprise.” 

Thatch nodded slowly, a blush creeping up his face. He was still trying to decide where to put his hands, and hesitated before finally placing them on Izo’s hips. He waited a moment to be sure that was alright, watching Izo’s face for any indication that he wanted him to move. None came, and he tugged the man closer, until their chests were nearly touching. 

“I love both of my gifts,” He started, a blush beginning to rise up his own cheeks now. He ran his thumb along the inside collar of Thatch’s shirt, eyes half lidded now. “How did you know I wanted you for my birthday?”

The other man could only swallow, wondering if Izo could hear the way his heart was beating so rapidly in his chest that he was beginning to worry that it might burst out. He chewed on his lower lip, sliding his hands back until they were resting on the small of the other’s back. With a small burst of courage he gave him a gentle press, sucking in a soft breath at the way he easily moved forward with the motion. 

“Would it be too cliche to ask what you wished for when you blew out your candles?” Thatch whispered, gently resting his forehead against Izo’s. 

“Not cliche at all,” He replied, his smile stretching into a grin now, like he had been waiting for it. He moved a little closer, their bodies flush against one another now. “I wished that you would finally get the hint, Thatch…”

They both stood in silence for a moment as the words registered in his brain, his eyes widening slowly. He swallowed hard, trying to resist the urge to pinch himself to be sure he wasn’t dreaming. 

“Izo,” he started, somehow able to find his voice in the moment, although it sounded small and less confident than usual. “Can I kiss you?” 

Izo could only laugh, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. They were inches apart and the man was still asking for permission; it may have been the cutest thing he’d ever heard. “Well, if you want to fulfill my birthday wish I suppose you’re going to have to.”

Thatch broke into a wide grin at that, letting out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he moved quickly, capturing his lips in a desperate kiss. To his delight Izo reacted in much of the same way, tightening his arms around him and pulling him closer, deepening the kiss almost immediately. Too much time had been spent desperately wishing and hoping for a confession, for a kiss, for  _ something _ , and now that it was finally here Izo was worried he may never be able to pull away. 

It was Thatch that finally broke the kiss, panting softly and resting their foreheads together once again. He couldn’t bring himself to get any further away, not when he  _ finally _ had Izo in his grasp. 

“You know, your lips are a lot softer than I expected.”  
“I could say the same about you.”

Izo was about to speak again when a sudden giggle caught his attention and he turned, eyes widening at the sight of Kiku crouched in the doorway with her polaroid camera. There were already a few pictures sitting on the floor in front of her, and yet another printing out of the camera. 

“K-Kiku!” Izo bit his lip, trying to suppress his laughter. “How long have you been over there?”

“Did’ya get a good photo?” 

“Thatch!” He snorted in laughter, quickly covering his mouth and trying to act as if that sound hadn’t come from him; he certainly didn’t make undignified noises like that! “I– flower, it’s past your bedtime!” He turned, planting a gentle kiss on Thatch’s cheek before making his way over to the young girl, holding out his hand. 

Kiku giggled softly and took the hand offered to her, pulling herself to her feet. “I’ll go now!” She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him as tightly as she could. 

“Happy birthday, brother!”

* * *

Izo had suggested a movie for the two of them once Kiku had finally gone to bed, but he passed out within the first twenty minutes. He was pressed against Thatch’s side, his head resting on his shoulder. 

Thatch slowly turned off the tv and slid his arms underneath the man’s body, carefully standing up from the couch and holding him close. He couldn’t help but notice how adorable he looked down there, grinning to himself. 

“You look so peaceful, ‘Zo…” He laughed softly, making his way up the stairs. “I could get used to this, you know… I’m a real soft guy, I’m sure I make a nice pillow…” 

He used his hip to open the bedroom door, looking around with a smile before stepping up to the bed and lowering him onto the plush surface. He started to pull away when suddenly Izo reached out, gently grabbing onto his wrist. 

“You know, you really are a soft guy. Stay here with me, won’t you?” He looked up at him through long lashes, smiling sleepily up at him. “It is my birthday after all, you wouldn’t say no to the birthday boy, right?”

Thatch could barely process anything he’d said, still completely stuck on the fact that he’d apparently been awake the whole time he was being carried, which meant he  _ heard everything he’d said.  _ He rubbed the back of his neck, stuttering slightly. “I– I mean, I don’t have pajamas…”

“You’re telling me you can’t just sleep in your boxers?”

“...I can, but I wasn’t going to be the one to suggest it.” 

Izo sat up slightly, watching the other man begin to strip down. It didn’t take long before Thatch had crawled into bed with him, wrapping his arms around his thin form. He snuggled up closer, planting a kiss against his temple before finally allowing his eyes to fall shut. 

“Happy birthday, Izo.” 


End file.
